Teres, redpoint or galibier turntable

As many have said, i think all thne tables are good examples modern TT design working in a musical fashion rather than just modifying or dressing up and old design.

I find Thom from Galibier to be the most thorough and unpretentious of people. His design ideas are very sound and you certainly couldn't go wrong with one of his tables.

You might have to wait as I know he is a busy man.

My views on Galibier and Teres tables have already been quoted here. Having worked with Thom over the last couple of years I would say that he has a better developed sense of what vinyl replay should sound like than anyone else I have come across.

I believe Thom has worked harder than any other table designer to develop a table that does a great job on everything necessary for records to sound great - vibration and resonance control, speed stability, optimized torque, easy geometry/setup adjustment.

I compared the same LP on a Galibier and a Walker at RMAF last year. I didn't hear anything more on the Walker - sure it was good but not better. I'm sure many audiophiles overlook the Galibier line simply because they want/expect to spend more on a top flight table.

The Ravens are competitive, however realize that they are sold through a traditional importer/retailer channel who work the industry marketing models very effectively. I like the Ravens however the aesthetic appeal of the polished aluminum base of the Galibier does more for me than a black lump of plastic.

I agree with previous posts that the Gavia/Triplanar/XV1-S makes poor recordings/pressings sound listenable like nothing else.

In meeting other Galibier owners, I'd say that there's some common ground in terms of independent thought, skepticism for marketing hype and a Salvatore-esque distrust of audio magazine reviews.

>Salvatore-esque distrust of audio magazine reviews<

I read and enjoy Arthur's thoughts and comments but the love affair with his buddy Israel and Coincident products makes him more akin to than different from the magazine reviewers.

IMO

Audiofeil, you mean the COINCIDENT M300B FRANKENSTEIN MK II - THE FINEST AMPLIFIER TO EVER GRACE THIS PLANET!!!!!

Yeah, I have to agree that Salvatore is just as prone to becoming obsessed with a single line of equipment as most audio writers. He's as ga-ga over Coincident as Fremer used to be about all things Musical Fidelity.

I expected this reaction from some audiophiles. Between ignorance, cynicism, egotism and self-interest, it was inevitable. Still, I welcome the opportunity to answer these blatantly unfair insinuations. First charge...

"...The love affair with his buddy Israel and Coincident products makes him more akin to than different from the magazine reviewers. "

Let's compare this statement with the actual facts. This can be verified by going to my website: Recommended Components and "Changes and Updates". The entire 8 year history (1999-2007) is posted there. What will you find?

In those entire 8 years, with Coincident coming out with 20 or so speakers, only one, the Total Victory II, has been added to my Recommended Speakers (Class B), unless you count the Triumphs added to "Entry-Level". Also, I actually demoted the (discontinued) Eclipse series when I recommended the Total Victory II (Class B to Class C). So, just one current Coincident speaker has been "Recommended" in the last 8 years. That's a "Love affair"?! (TAS, then, must be "Tristan and Isolde"!)

The Coincident amplifiers: From 1999 up to February 2007, I recommended one model, and only after making direct comparisons with the ASL Hurricane, and with other audiophiles present. To have ignored what we all clearly heard would have been simply lying. (The Frankenstein is discussed below.)

Cables: Every result, positive and negative, was confirmed by others. Example: the I.C. had more than 20 blind comparisons to the Wireworld Gold Eclipse III, made with customers in 2000. Was I suppose to ignore this also? Further, I posted, 4 years ago now, that all these I.C. results were "outdated", and have even recently removed them entirely. When the Coincident "Extreme" speaker cable was itself outperformed by the Polk, on my SET amplifiers, this was duly noted, and the cables placed in "Lower". Maybe that was just a "one night stand".

Second charge, in "quotes"...

"COINCIDENT M300B FRANKENSTEIN MK II - THE FINEST AMPLIFIER TO EVER GRACE THIS PLANET!!!!!"

This "quote" is a gross exaggeration, and obviously meant to be highly prejudicial. Below is what I actually wrote and posted...

"This is, without a doubt, the finest amplifier, overall, I have ever heard. Two of my associates have also heard this amplifier, in my system, and agree with this opinion and evaluation."

There is a profound difference between these two statements. I spent over two months researching and writing how, and why, I came to this conclusion. Since I had the same opinion earlier, with the Golden Tube Audio 300B (for 11 years!) and the Tektron amplifier modified, I wonder why it's only now that I'm described as going "ga-ga"?

Am I also "ga-ga" with Polk speaker cables, or the Bent Silver transformer, or the ZYX cartridges (and head amp) or the VPI line of turntables, tonearms and cleaning machines? And what about the Forsell turntable and the Avantgarde horn speakers? They're both in Class A, by themselves. Don't forget Wyetech, Tom Tutay, V-Caps, CAT, ASL, Denon, Manley and Atma-sphere!

Comparing me to the main stream commercial audio press is highly ignorant, if not malicious. Their priority is to "sell". My priorities are to enlighten myself and to advise and help others if possible. For instance...

I almost always prominently bring up why a person should NOT purchase something. Just go over all of the caveats and conditions I discuss with the Frankenstein amplifier alone (URL below-Part 3). This is why I also emphasize modifying equipment, if possible, before changing it. It is also why I recommend numerous discontinued components, which can be purchased used, in favor of newer components.

The Golden Tube 300B (modified) was my amplifier (Class A!) "Reference" for 11 years. I never met them, did business with them, and the company went bankrupt many years ago now. Do you think Fremer, Stereophile, TAS, or any of the commercial magazines and writers would have done that? (Where is the potential $$$ upside to them?) If anyone does, they can confidently add "fool" to their self description.

Yours truly, Arthur Salvatore

http://www.high-endaudio.com/RC-Frankenstein.html